Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x49, Creative Elements in Scenes, Examples

24 February 2017, Writing Ideas - New Novel, part x49, Creative Elements in Scenes, Examples

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the writing.

4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

     4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:

1.  The initial scene (the beginning)

2.  The rising action

3.  The climax

4.  The falling action

5.  The dénouement

I finished writing my 27^th novel, working title, Claire, potential title Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse.  This might need some tweaking.  The theme statement is: Claire (Sorcha) Davis accepts Shiggy, a dangerous screw-up, into her Stela branch of the organization and rehabilitates her.  

Here is the cover proposal for Sorcha: Enchantment and the Curse. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I started writing my 28^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I’m also working on my 29^th novel, working title School.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any novel. 

Scene development:

1.  Scene input (easy)

2.  Scene output (a little harder)

3.  Scene setting (basic stuff)

4.  Creativity (creative elements of the scene: transition from input to output focused on the telic flaw resolution)

5.  Tension (development of creative elements to build excitement)

6.  Release (climax of creative elements)

 

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Since I’m writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.  Here is an initial cut.

 

For novel 28:  Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns about freedom, and is redeemed.

 

For novel 29:  Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the problem child Deirdre and is redeemed.

 

These are the steps I use to write a novel:

 

1.      Design the initial scene

2.      Develop a theme statement (initial setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)

a.       Research as required

b.      Develop the initial setting

c.       Develop the characters

d.      Identify the telic flaw (internal and external)

3.      Write the initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

4.      Write the next scene(s) to the climax (rising action)

5.      Write the climax scene

6.      Write the falling action scene(s)

7.      Write the dénouement scene

 

Here is the beginning of the scene development method from the outline:

 

1.      Scene input (comes from the previous scene output or is an initial scene)

2.      Write the scene setting (place, time, stuff, and characters)

3.      Imagine the output, creative elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and release.

4.      Write the scene using the output and creative elements to build the tension.

5.      Write the release

6.      Write the kicker

 

The author has many creative elements available based on the novel, style, and type of writing.  For example, in School one of the electives is meeting with faeries, the fae.  Here is a short piece from that initial scene in the novel.  As you read through this notice the setting elements and those that are turned into creative elements.  Remember, setting elements become creative elements through interaction.

 

Luna glanced back at them, “Now, ladies.  Do you have your rosaries?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Leave your iron pieces under your blouses, but keep the crucifixes on the outside.”

Sorcha spoke up, “That’s not allowed with the uniform.”

Luna laughed, “It is Sunday, and it is required for what we will do.”

Deidre asked, “What will we do?”

Luna laughed again.  She drove back to Wycombe Abbey and went to the left and the east side of the campus, across the lake and just before the Lacrosse Pitch.  There, she pulled the automobile to the left side of the road.  No one was practicing and no one seemed to be anywhere about.  They exited the Triumph, and Luna headed into the trees near the road.  This was a rather deep wood with tall trees and deep leaf mold.  The trees didn’t block out all the sunlight, but when they arrived at an open glade, the sunlight suddenly engulfed them.  It ran like thick syrup from the near noon sun and sparkled on the still frozen dew that was just clearing in the still cold air.  Luna stood near the center of the glade.  She placed a small ceramic bowl on the ground and filled it with a thick golden liquid.  She spoke in Gaelic, “This is mead.  Regular honey will work, but this always gets them.  The best time for this is really the early morning and just before dusk, but our prey is lazy, and we don’t want to attract anything untoward.  Now, I need you to give me a little song, Ms. Calloway.”

Deirdre scratched her leg, “What song?”

“Come, come, Ms. Calloway, the fae song you sang every day of your life in the garden at Rosewood.”

Deirdre blushed.

“Sing it sweet and sing it properly in Gaelic.”

Deirdre took a deep breath and began to sing in Gaelic:

“Little sìthichean le casan beaga bìodach

 Cluich ann an gàrradh seo - ach ga fàgail grinn

 Little sìthichean le làmhan cho milis

 Tha mi a 'fàgail ìobairt seo - tha thu airson a bhith ag ithe

 Little sìthichean, mas e seo a 'ghàrradh tha grinn

 Tha mi a 'fàgail barrachd ìobairtean aig do chasan beaga bìodach [i].”

Sorcha glanced around.

Luna stood very still.  She whispered, “Don’t move too much and don’t look for them.  Keep singing, sweet.”

Embarrassed, Deidre kept singing the simple song.

After a few moments something or rather more than one something began to move at the edge of the glade.  Sorcha and Deidre turned very slowly toward the sound.

Luna hissed under her breath, “I told you not to look.  Just stand still.”

Deidre kept singing.  She turned a greater and greater shade of crimson.

Slowly a small woman with white wings and gossamer wrapped around her body flew from the edge of the woods toward the bowl in its center.  The woman’s hair was the color of honey, and her face was shining and beautiful.  The features were small but well defined.  They looked somewhat similar to Sorcha’s but they were more rounded and plump.  Her body was also well defined and as she flew toward the bowl, the outline was completely visible through her thin clothing.  The fae being came in small fits and starts.  It watched the three ladies carefully, but when they didn’t move, she became more and more bold.  Finally, she came right up to the bowl and touched the liquid inside.  She glanced around to make sure no one of them had moved, then she took a tiny handful of the contents and touched it to her lips.  She gave a very broad smile, then glanced back to the woods.  In Gaelic she called in a very low but sweet and thick alto that didn’t match her appearance at all, “It is a pleasant offering.  Come forth, friend.”

From the very beginning of this scene we see setting elements that are becoming creative elements.  Look at the rosaries.  They were early turned into creative elements through interaction.  The other elements work in much the same way.  We see a Gaelic song turned into a creative element.  We see all kinds of objects and setting elements that turn into creative elements.  All these bits and pieces weave into the overall scene and into the plot of the novel. 

 

Characters are setting elements too.  For instance, a rabbit in the background is a setting element—a white rabbit being chased by Alice is a creative element in its own right.  The difference is the interaction. 

 

That’s about all for today.        

 

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com  

fiction, theme, plot, story, storyline, character development, scene, setting, conversation, novel, book, writing, information, study, marketing, tension, release, creative, idea, logic

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[i] Little faeries with tiny feet

Play in this garden - but leave it neat

 Little faeries with hands so sweet

 I leave this offering - for you to eat

 Little faeries, if this garden is neat

 I’ll leave more offerings at your tiny feet.